As the promotion and distribution of sports increases on a national and international basis, a larger segment of the population is exposed to sports. A number of popular sports employ balls that are grasped or manipulated by the hands. A number of these sports employ inflatable balls. A popular game that employs an inflatable or elastic ball is basketball. The increased promotion of basketball has exposed the game to more and more players over a wide range of ages, sizes and skill levels are participating in the game. The relative size and skill level of many professional players permit the professional players to perform certain feats with a ball which are substantially unattainable by the average sized or nonprofessional player or youths participating in the game.
In prior attempts to accommodate the varying skill levels or age groups of participants, basketballs have had reduced diameters. That is, basketballs for children often have a diameter which is substantially less than the diameter of a regulation size NBA basketball. As the child grows, their hands are better able to grasp and control a regulation size basketball. However, even as the player matures it may remain extremely difficult to control the regulation size ball.
Although regulation size basketballs have a plurality of interconnected seams in the surface of the ball, the seams are spaced so that only a portion of one or two fingertips may engage the seams. In fact, there are many orientations of the basketball where the player cannot effectively engage any of the seams. The seams are also located such that generally only one or two digits engage the seams.
The exterior surface of conventional basketballs has an embossed or formed grain pattern formed of pebble-like projections or blisters on the exterior surface. These pebble-like projections are convex, rounded and generally hemispherical in shape, with each projection separated from its neighboring projection by recessed bands or valleys. The valleys are much narrower in width than the average diameter of the projections, and form a substantially continuous, interconnected network over the surface of the ball. The junctures or intersections at which the valleys separating three or more projections converge are also much narrower than the average diameter of the projections. The individual pebble projections have a diameter or width dimension of approximately 0.0625 (1/16) to 0.125 (1/8) inches [1.6 mm to 3.2 mm], and project from the surrounding surface of the ball by approximately 0.03125 (1/32) inches [0.8 mm]. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,894, the individual grain pebbles have a diameter (width) to depth ratio ranging from approximately 3 to approximately 6.25.
In conventional sports balls having exterior surfaces made of leather, the pebble grain is embossed onto the leather by applying pressure using a suitable stamping device. In balls having synthetic non-leather exterior surfaces, the pebble grain is applied during injection or compression molding of the surface piece, or, alternatively, embossed using heat and/or pressure.
Regardless of the technique used to apply the pebble grain to conventional sports balls, the resulting pebble-like projections provide enhanced gripping characteristics as compared to balls having smooth exterior surfaces. In particular, a player's fingers and palm will conform to the grain of the ball such that the skin will compress against a plurality of pebble-like projections but remain uncompressed or less compressed with respect to the valleys surrounding the projections. It is believed enhanced gripping of the basketball results from the frictional interaction between the multiple projections and skin of the player's hand.
Previously, a football was proposed which had a reverse grain pebble pattern consisting of substantially circular recesses formed on the exterior surface of the ball. The recesses of the prior design were formed with orthogonal walls extending inwardly from the exterior surface of the ball and ending at a substantially flat bottom portion. The orthogonal walls defining the recesses in the prior design formed a sharp circular lip at their intersection with the exterior surface of the ball. Thus, friction was created when a player's fingers and palm compressed the raised portions of the ball but remained relatively uncompressed by the recesses. The prior reverse grain football was therefore less tactically appealing than conventional footballs.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,928,962 and 4,991,842 disclose a reverse grained football and basketball, wherein the surface pattern has recesses and ridges that are similar in number and size to the pebble-like projections of a conventional football and basketball. Alternatively, an increased number of seams or grooves have been employed to enhance the grasp upon the ball, such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,859,040; 5,133,550; and 5,165,685.
However, a need still exists for a sports ball which may be of a regulation size yet provide enhanced gripping characteristics. A further need exists for a sports ball having a novel appearance and having a configured surface for enhancing the grip of the ball. The need also exists for a grip enhancing configuration that may be applied to a variety of sports balls having convex surfaces.